The Oklahoma City Thunder and guard Victor Oladipo have reached agreement on a four-year, $84 million contract extension, according to The Vertical’s Shams Charania. Oladipo, acquired from the Orlando Magic in the trade that also involved big man Serge Ibaka and rookie Domantas Sabonis last June, is a huge part of the Thunder’s future as they try to redefine themselves in the post-Kevin Durant era.
“We are excited to extend our partnership with Steven [Adams] and Victor,” said Thunder GM Sam Presti in a release. “Both players represent the Thunder’s present and future, exhibiting the values that the Oklahoma community and our organization hold in high regard: hard work, team first, resiliency and citizenship.”
For Oladipo, the No. 2 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, this is a nice bit of security and it eliminates the uncertainty of restricted free agency. It’s also more money on a per-season basis than former teammate Evan Fournier got — the Magic signed him to a five-year, $85 million deal last summer.
For Oklahoma City, this seems like a home run. If Oladipo plays as well as the front office hopes he will, he could have commanded a maximum contract next summer. That would have been bad news for the Thunder, who are also reportedly close to a four-year, $100 million deal with center Steven Adams and want to preserve at least a little bit of flexibility going forward.
Of course, Oladipo in some ways still needs to justify this contract. The 24-year-old will be counted on this season to hit 3-pointers consistently and create offense for both himself and his teammates. This is the first season where he has been on a team with real expectations, and while he and guard Russell Westbrook have the potential to be a dynamic duo, it’s unclear how well their games complement each other in a half-court setting.
Courtesy: CBS Sports
